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Spain and NATO. Did you know that it was a Spaniard who guided NATO through its first major peacekeeping operation? Find out what actually triggered Spain to join NATO in 1982 and why its accession was so important for the Alliance. Read about Spain’s early years as the 16th member of the Alliance.
30 maj 2022 · Influence and image of Spain. Spain’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1982 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 demarcate with mathematical precision Spain’s 40 years of membership of the organisation that forms the bedrock of the West’s defence system.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. Of the 32 member countries, 30 are in Europe and two are in North America.
Spain became NATO's 16th member on 30 May 1982. NATO is an international political and military organisation whose aim is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.
Spain’s contribution to Euro-Atlantic security is not confined to the NATO and EU frameworks. It also participates in the Eurocorps and in the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) —two independent structures that can nonetheless help reinforce the EU’s CSDP and even NATO—.
In the map above you can see all the 29 NATO members, including Finland which joined in April, 2023. In the map of Europe below, you can see the countries with and without NATO membership before Montenegro joined in 2017, North Macedonia in 2020, and most recently, Finland joined in April 2023. NATO members in Europe.
Together with the European Union, NATO plays a prominent role in defining and defending what Spain stands for as a country. As a multilateral defence organisation, NATO’s value lies in the protection it offers against threats to our security.
